Criteria A

Knowled
ge:

Name :____________________
Period:____________________
Date: _____________________
IB Level
8

IB Descriptors
(from subject guide)
i.
ii.
iii.

i.
ii.

iii.

i.
ii.
iii.

3
2

1
0

i.
ii.
iii.

What do I have to do?

describe scientific knowledge

apply scientific knowledge and understanding to
solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar
situations
analyze information to make scientifically
supported judgments.
outline scientific knowledge
apply scientific knowledge and understanding to
solve problems set in familiar situations and
suggest solutions to problems set in unfamiliar
situations
interpret information to make scientifically
supported judgments.
state scientific knowledge
apply scientific knowledge and understanding to
solve problems set in familiar situations
apply information to make scientifically
supported judgments.
recall scientific knowledge
apply scientific knowledge and understanding to
suggest solutions to problems set in familiar
situations
apply information to make judgments.

Has not achieved the above criteria

Levels 1-6 plus:

- Apply your knowledge to solving problems in a
new context.
- Analyse and evaluate information presented to
you, supporting your answers with scientific
knowledge and judgment
Level 1-4 plus:
- give correct, longer-answered (explained)
answers, showing understanding, not just memory.
- Solve problems that you may have experienced
before (or similar).
Level 1-2 plus:
- give correct, longer-answered (explained)
answers, showing understanding, not just memory.
- Solve problems that you may have experienced
before (or similar).

. Correctly answer simple vocab, multi-choice or

labeling questions.

Forget everything youve studied

To gain higher marks, all requirements of earlier sections must be fulfilled!

Unit 1 Exam
Sustaining Earths Ecosystems
How long did I spend preparing for this test?

What revision techniques did I use in my study?

Which question(s) did I find the most challenging?

Why?

Did I make any silly mistakes in this test? Where?

Why? How can I prevent this happening again?

Given the same questions again, could I improve my

score? How would I do this?

What will I remember for future unit tests/ exams?

Criteria C
Knowledge:

Name: _____________________________
Block: _____________________________
Unit 1 Test
Ecology
SECTION A: These questions will test your knowledge to level 1/2/3.
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
1. Which of the following correctly lists the abiotic and biotic factors in the diagram of the pond shown
below?

a.
b.
c.
d.
a.

Abiotic Factors
soil, tree
water, sunlight
sunlight, fish
dragonfly, beaver
a

b.

Biotic Factors
water, grass
frog, tree
hawk, beaver
photosynthesis, soil
b

c.

d.

2. Which of the following is likely to be found in regions that have a layer of permanently frozen soil?
a.
b.
c.
d.

growth of tall trees

long growing season
high average annual temperature
migration of animals in search for food sources during the winter season

Use the following diagram to answer the next two questions.

3. A student measured some abiotic factors present in the aquarium shown above. Which of the following
represents the data that the student recorded?
a.
b.
c.
d.

the mass of the snails

the size and colour of the fish
the number of each type of aquatic plants
the temperature and oxygen content of the water

4. What does the above aquarium consisting of snails, aquatic plants, gravel, and water represent?
a.
b.

a population c.
a community d.

an ecosystem
biotic factors

5. The remora is a fish that uses a sucker to attach itself onto a shark without harming it. By riding on the
shark, it gets protection from predators and the scraps of food the shark leaves behind. Which type of
relationship exists between the remora and the shark?
a.
b.

predation
parasitism

c.
d.

mutualism
commensalism

6. Foxes and owls living in the same habitat compete for rabbits as their food supply. Which of the
following situations would lead to the greatest problem in their food supply?
a.
b.

a decrease in the fox population

a decrease in the owl population

c.
d.

an increase in the fox population

an increase in the rabbit population

7. Which of the following biomes has the lowest rate of photosynthesis?

a.
b.

desert
tundra

c.
d.

grassland
temperate rainforest

Use the following pyramid to answer the next question.

8. Which level of the pyramid shown above would most likely contain the greatest biomass of primary
consumers?
a.
b.

trophic level 1
trophic level 2

c.
d.

trophic level 3
trophic level 4

9. Which of the following is responsible for the energy flow from the first trophic level to the fourth
trophic level in a pyramid of energy?
a.
b.

predation
nitrification

c.
d.

photosynthesis
cellular respiration

Use the following food chain to answer the next two questions.
phytoplankton krill squid sea lion killer whale
10. Which of the following occupies the first trophic level in the food chain shown above?
a.
b.

krill
squid

c.
d.

sea lion
phytoplankton

11. Which of the following would most likely be eradicated by bioaccumulation of PCBs in the food chain
shown above?
a.
b.

krill
squid

c.
d.

sea lion
killer whale

12. Which of the following explains why there is a small percentage of energy that passes from one trophic
level to the next?
I.
II.
III
.
a.
b.

Some energy is lost as heat.

Most of the energy at each trophic level is used for life processes.
Most of the energy is trapped and accumulates inside the organisms at each trophic level.
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

13. Looking at the food web shown below, determine which of the following would be a direct result of a
decrease in the mouse population due to disease.

a.
b.
c.
d.

The deer population would decrease.

The grass population would increase.
The snake population would increase.
The cricket population would decrease.

14. Which of the following returns nitrogen to the atmosphere?

a.
b.
c.
d.

denitrification and nitrification

nitrogen fixation and atmospheric fixation
transportation, industry, and volcanic ash
fertilizer application and decomposition of plants and animals

15. What is the role of nitrate in the nitrogen cycle?

a.
b.
c.
d.

It is taken up by animals to make DNA.

It is used by bacteria to make ammonium.
It is excreted by animals as a waste product.
It is taken up by plant roots and incorporated into plant proteins.

16. Where does nitrogen fixation occur?

I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

in the ocean
in root nodules of legumes
in the atmosphere by lightning
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

17. The use of living organisms, such as micro-organisms, to feed on chemicals and reduce them to nontoxic compounds is known as:
a.
b.

bioremediation
biodegradation

c.

bioaccumulation
d.
biomagnification

18. Which of the following brings about chemical changes on the surfaces of rocks?
a.
b.

shrubs
lichens

c.
d.

grasses
tree roots

19. For many decades, certain parts of northern Canada have remained boreal forests containing
predominantly coniferous trees, such as black spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir. These forests will
most likely do which of the following?
a.
b.
c.
d.

reach maturity and remain unchanged

remain unchanged and not be affected by environmental conditions
continue in their present state unless affected by a major abiotic factor
be destroyed by a destructive environmental event and never return to their present state

20. The cichlid fish of Lake Victoria in Africa evolved from a common ancestor into more than 300 different
species that inhabit different niches. This is an example of:
a.
b.

extinction
infestation

c.
d.

adaptive radiation
ecological succession

21. Which of the following occurs when an invasive foreign species is introduced into an existing
ecosystem?
I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

Foreign species can improve the stability of the habitat.

Foreign species can disrupt the biotic components of the ecosystem.
Foreign species can make the natural habitat unsuitable for native species.
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

Use the following diagram to answer the next two questions.

22. Which of the following events could have occurred in the area shown above to make Stage I look the
way it does?
I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

a forest fire
a retreating glacier
a volcanic eruption
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

23. What is responsible for the addition of minerals during soil formation in Stage II shown above?
a.
b.

lichens
c.
deforestation d.

photosynthesis
grasses and shrubs

24. Which of the following are ways in which an introduced species can affect native species?
I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

They compete for nesting sites.

They strengthen the immune system of the native species.
They change the composition of the natural habitat so it is unsuitable for the native
species.
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

25. Which of the following are results of massive deforestation?

I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

soil erosion
increase in temperature
reduction in the number of plants and animals in an ecosystem
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

-------------------------------------------- SECTION A COMPLETE ------------------------------------------

Score = ________
MYP level = ________
SECTION B: These questions will test your knowledge to levels 4/5.
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
26. Use the following information about an investigation to answer this question.
In an investigation, three pea seeds were placed in identical pots in three different locations in a
classroom. Each seedling germinated in the same amount and type of soil, and each received the same
amount of water for the duration of the study. At the end of the investigation, the heights and leaf
colours of the pea plants were recorded in the following data table.
Location
sunny windowsill
indirect sunlight
dark cupboard

Height (cm)
10
12
14

Leaf Colour
green
green
yellow

Which of the following hypotheses was tested in this investigation?

a.
A pea plant needs water to grow.
b.
A pea plant grown in the dark will not be green.
c.
The more soil there is, the taller the pea plant will grow.
d.
The height of a pea plant is dependent on the type of soil it is grown in.
27. A rotting log or an ocean could each be defined as an entire ecosystem. Which of the following
characteristics do the log and the ocean have in common that makes this similar classification
appropriate?
I.
They both have organisms that share a habitat.
II. They both have abiotic components that interact with biotic components.
III. They both are made up of populations of organisms interacting with other populations of
organisms.
a.
b.

I. and II. only

I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

28. Which of the following lists the correct order of the world biomes from the equator to the North Pole?
a.
b.
c.
d.

desert tropical rainforest tundra boreal forest

desert boreal forest tundra temperate deciduous forest
tropical rainforest temperate rainforest boreal forest tundra
tundra temperate deciduous forest boreal forest tropical rainforest

29. In which world biome would the extinction of an animal species have the least impact?

a.
b.

tundra
permanent ice

c.
d.

tropical rainforest
temperate deciduous forest

30. Which of the following are responsible for the presence of temperate rainforests along the coastlines of
British Columbia, Chile, and New Zealand?
I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

presence of ocean currents

presence of coastal mountains
proximity to grassland biomes
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

Use the following graph to answer the next two questions.

31. Looking at the graph shown above, which biome has the greatest average annual precipitation and
temperature?
a.
b.

desert
grassland

c.
d.

tropical rainforest
temperature rainforest

32. Which biome has an average temperature of 8oC and an average annual precipitation of 180mm of rain?
a. Boreal forest
b. Temperate deciduous forest

c. Temperate rain forest

d. Tropical rain forest

33. Use the following climatograph to answer this question. Climate data was collected from local weather
observation stations for a region in British Columbia over a period of years. This data is represented by
the climatograph shown below. Which of the following biomes could this region represent?

a.
b.

desert
tundra

c.
d.

grassland
permanent ice

34. The concentration of a toxic pesticide is magnified 10 times at each trophic level. What will be its
concentration in organisms at the fourth trophic level if producers store the pesticide at concentrations of
60 ppm?
a.
b.

90 ppm
600 ppm

c.
d.

6000 ppm
60 000 ppm

35. Which of the following may give rise to adaptive radiation?

I.
II.
III.
a.
b.

extinctions that empty ecological niches

adaptations that open up many new ecological niches to organisms
organisms that colonize a new area, such as an isolated island, and are free from
competition with other species
I. and II. only
I. and III. only

c.
d.

II. and III. only

I., II., and III.

------------------------------------------------ SECTION B COMPLETE -----------------------------------------------Score = ______

MYP level = ______

SECTION C: This will test your knowledge to levels 6/7/8

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

36. Explain why photosynthesis and cellular respiration are considered complementary
processes, include formulas for each process?
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37. Compare the kinds of adaptations a plant has to live in a temperate rainforest with the
kind of adaptations a plant would need to live in a desert.
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38. What is a biological process and a human activity involved in the carbon cycle.
Describe the relationship between these two different types of processes.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
39.Haida Gwaii is a series of islands far off the northern coast of British Columbia. Nonnative rats have been found in very large numbers on some of the islands. Discuss how
the rats may have come to the island and their impact on the island ecosystem.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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---------------------------------------------------- END OF SECTION C -------------------------------------------------Score = ________
MYP level = ______

------------------------------------ END OF TEST -----------------------------------